Give to Grow

As followers of Jesus (Christians), we give in response to all that God has given to us.

Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” St Paul, 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

This passage tells us these things about growth & giving’ – ‘growing facts’:

Generosity is the key to growth

Growth & giving are inextricably linked

We can’t grow anything unless we plant seed/s

Planting few seeds produces a small crop

Planting many seeds produces a large crop

There are three ways of giving – our seed. We give of our time, talent & treasure

So many people give of their time and talents to the ministry of St Michael's. We have a very active church life, towards which many people contribute. As the Church Council (PCC), we are very grateful for all that you do.

We are also grateful for financial gifts and contributions made by Church members (our ‘treasure’).

Most people new to church life do not know how parish churches are financed. This is how it works…

The Church of England is divided into two Provinces – Canterbury (South) and York (North). There are 43 Dioceses (regional areas). Typically, the Dioceses of the North of England are poor in comparison with those in the South. Liverpool Diocese is one of the poorest Dioceses.

As a church, we do not receive very much money from the Diocese. In fact, we are net givers. Every month we pay what is called a ‘parish share’ to the Diocese. This is a significant proportion of our monthly giving (currently £13k annually). This sum goes towards the Vicar’s stipend (salary) and housing costs, as well as towards helping churches less well off than ours, in deprived areas.

Our current financial situation at St Michael's

Currently our giving is stable but static. Yet, we are not balancing the books, meaning that we are continually dipping into our reserves, which is not sustainable in the mid to long term.

If more of our members were prepared to offer financial support on a regular basis this would help our mission and ministry and enable us to plan more effectively.

Our members are generous and never fail to respond generously to appeals in support of local food banks & homeless hostels for instance.

Likewise, when we have been faced with having to find substantial sums for unexpected repairs to our church buildings our members have always been willing to make donations towards the cost, but as grateful as we always are for their prompt and generous response we cannot continue to operate on ‘crisis money’.

To help us meet our running costs, fulfil our responsibilities (as trustees of the church building) and our work within this parish we need everyone to think about how much they can give on a regular basis to support that work.

All giving is confidential and can be cancelled at any time.

Many of us enjoy the benefits of regular direct debit subscriptions to schemes such as Netflix, SkySports, and Spotify.

Through the Parish Giving Scheme we can contribute to our church in a similar way.

So here’s the challenge…

THE £5 CHALLENGE!

If you’re not already doing so, why not begin by giving a minimum of £5 per week (£20 per month) by direct debit towards the ministry of St Michael's?

We understand that times are hard for many of us, and don’t want to appear to be putting pressure on people.